AFCON to be played in June, 24 teams to participate

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament will from 2019 be played in June and July while the number of participants will be increased to 24 teams from 16.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) said in a statement on Thursday evening that CAF Executive Committee at the first CAF African Symposium in Morocco approved the changes.

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“The tournament will now be held in the months of June and July. The competition will however remain a biennial event (every two years), odd years,” CAF said.

AFCON is usually held from January to February hence European based players were forced to leave their clubs mid-season to participate in the tournament.

There were also reports that CAF will allow countries like China, United States and Saudi Arabia to host the tournament but the proposal was not approved with CAF saying that the tournament will continue to be “exclusively held on African soil with African national teams.”